Tuesday, March 27, 2012

I always fret over my gear before an especially long trip. Even more so if I am exploring new territory. And with the warmer temps we are having lately, I was hoping to get a lightweight, sleeping bag set up. I have pondered this design over the past few years. I don't recall ever seeing something similar, and I'm not sure why. It is simple, compact-able, lightweight etc.

I took an old down sleeping bag that has been in the shed, unused for years, and proceeded to empty it of it's contents. I'm glad the weather was nice and I chose to do this outside, although now, it looks like there was a goose gang fight out there. I wonder what that will do for my grass when it bio degrades? So, I stripped the bag, and tore out the baffles leaving me with 4 layers of nylon and a zipper. Then I cut out one of the bottom layers of nylon, leaving one on the bottom and two on the top.

Next, my awesome wife, whose last day of clinicals is today, sewed in my Sea To Summit sleeping bag liner. The finished product looks great and it packs half as big as my 30 degree bag. I'm going to have to go shopping to find a smaller compression sack.

The temps last night were around 45 and I slept outside, comfortably in shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt. I came in around midnite when the neighbors dogs woke me up with their barking, but went back out this morning, before the sun came up and after the dew had settled and crawled back in the bag. After a few minutes I warmed up nicely, and could have gone back to sleep.

My only concern in using this in the spring time would be the sudden spring snowstorm that sometimes creeps up. But if that happens, I'll likely be calling home for a rescue anyway.